Two-wheeled vehicle.



UNITED i STATES atented May 23, 1905.`

'PATENT OFFICE.

THOMPSON V. EDWARDS, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DONCARLOS EMERSON, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

TWO-WHEELED VEHICLEl SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.r790,486, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed September 3,71904. Serial No. 223,185.

To all whom, it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county ofPeoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Two-Wheeled Vehicles; and I do hereby declare-that thefollowing is a full, i clear, and exact description of the invention,

which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention has reference to improvements in two-wheeled cartsof'that class employed by mail-carriers, milk or dairy men, and kindredother uses.

The invention has especial reference to means for making the cart moreeasy riding than these vehic-les as ordinarily constructed.

It has reference also to the gearing em-f ployed for improving thegeneral make-up and prolonging the life of the vehicle.

The object of the invention, therefore, is to vimprove this class ofvehicles by making it -more easy riding and providing an adjustment ofthe carrying-springs to suit various loads carried and, furthermore, toconsiderably lessen the horse motion usually presen t in two-wheeledcarts. Y

In the drawings'forming part of this application, Figure l is a sideelevation of myl improved cart. vportion of the cart, showlng certainfeatures Fig. 2 is a plan View of a thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of a portion of one of the shaft members, showling an adjustingmeans for a spring. Fig. 4

is a perspective view of a swingletree, showa Fig. 'is a' extendingportions of the axle on which the wheels are carried, said shafts beingsecured Be 1t known that I, THoMPsoN V. EDWARDS,

to the axle by means of bolts E, Figs. 3 and 6. At F is a U-shapedmember, one end of which is bolted to the shaft near its rear end, theforward end of said member F being bolted to the shaft forward of the'body O by means of the bolt H, there being two transverse braces on theshaft, (indicated by l and .I,) above and below the shaft, respectively,through which said bolt H extendathe braces being used tostiffen theshafts, as will be understood. The lowermost portion of the member Flies adjacent to the axle and is clamped thereto by means of a clip Gr,and thus stiffens the shaft and holds itrigid with the axle.

Just below the brace J, just referred to, is hung a brace K, whichsupports the swingletree L, said brace being held in'position by meansof depending iron straps-M, but one oft which isy shown in the drawings.This places the swingletree at the proper height for the horse, and saidbrace Mis braced by means of a rod N, threaded at its forward end andprojecting through said brace horizontally and provided with nuts O O,the rear end of the rod being clamped to the axle at P in a mannersimilar to that just described for the rod member F. N ow anirregularly-formed bar Q is provided inside each shaft member,

one being secured by a bolt R to near the rear end of the-shaft and itsforward end also to the shaft somewhere behind the swingletree L, butconsiderably forward of the axle. This said bar Q is bent up into theform of an inverted U just forward of its bolt R and is provided with aseries of holes S. At the opposite end thel bar is bent downward fromits sustaining -bolt R and also provided with holes. At T T are springsof the spiral form,

one end engaging with one of the holes in the bar Q, whilethe lower endsof the springs engage with members' U, secured to the under side of thebottom of the body O. It will now be observed that the said bodyv issusupon the axle beneath, the said springs may be raised into holeshigher up, thus permitting plenty of latitude.

While I have described the shape of the bar Q, other shapes thereof maybe used with equally good results, as I do not wish to confine myself toany particular structure therein. Furthermore, I may change the' otherparts of the cart as to rthe braces andthe like and as to their placesof connection. With regard to the springs T, it is desired to state that-other forms may be used-as, for instance, as shown in Fig. 5,. in whicha fiat spring V is employed, being secured at one end to the shaft, thefree end having an eye for supporting a loop W for attachment to thesaid member U, as before. With regard to the axle B, I show in Fig. 3means for strengthening it, if desired.` This consists in placin'g inthe corners thereof a block Y, clamped in position by means of the clipsZ, as shown. This greatly strengthens said axle and prevents springingthe same, thus permitting it to be made of light material to reduce thecost of manufacturing the vehicle.

I showin Fig. 6 my improved form of cartbody, which comprises a box openat the rear for entrance of the passenger, said box being also dividedinto compartments 2, 3, 4, and 5 with a passage 6 for convenience inreaching said compartments. A canopy 7 is provided to cover the whole,thus making a complete and convenient storm-proof conveyance whensupplied with side curtains.

I claim- 1. In a two-wheeled cart, the wheels thereof, a U-shaped axletherefor hanging between the wheels, the shafts secured to the axleadjacent to the wheels, the cart-body hanging partially between thewheel-hubs, a member formed in an irregular curve secured to each limbof the shafts forward of and rearward of the axle substantially asshown, a spiral spring at each corner of the cart-body and adjustablysecured to the said members and to the cart-body, and a brace-rodattached at one end to each shaftlimb forward of the axle, and attachedalso to the axle near its lower portion and secured at lits rear end tothe shaft-limb behind the ax e.

2; In a two-wheeled cart the wheels, the U- shaped axle hanging betweenthe wheels, the cart-body hanging within the axle, the shafts attachedto the axle adjacent to the wheels, a member at each side of the cart,the same being formed in an irregular curve and attached to one end tothe shaft forward of the axle and to the shaft rearward of said axle asshown, a spiral spring at each corner of the body and by which thelatter is suspended, said spring being hung from the members describedand adjustable thereon as and for the purposes set forth, a brace-rodattached to each shaft-limb and extending downward and rearward to theaxle to which it is attached and then upward andV rearward and securedto the rear end of said shaft-limb, a horse attachment hung from theshafts, and a brace attached to the axle and extending forward torigidly hold the said draft attachment through which the pull on thelatter is transmitted to the axle.

3. In a two-wheeled cart the wheels, the U- shaped hanging axle, theshaft attached to the axle adjacent to the wheels, the cart-body hungbetween thewheels, a member secured to each shaft-limb forward of theaxle and extending downward and rearward below the shaft, then upwardabove the shaft and downward and connected to said shaftlimb as shown,there being a series of holes in the forward and rearward extremities ofsaid members, a spiral spring attached to each corner of the cart-bodyand suspended from certain of the holes in the members, a brace-rodsecured to each shaftlimb and extending downward and rearward to theaxle to which it is connected, thence extending rearward and upward andattached to the shaft-limb, a draft attachment suspended below theshafts and a brace secured to the axle and extending forward andterminating at the draft attachment for holding the same rigid and fortransmitting the pull of the horse directly to the axle.

4L A two-wheeled cart comprising the wheels and axle, the shafts securedto the axle and extending forward and rearward therefrom, a membersecured to each shaft member on the inside thereof, the cart-bodysuspended between said first-described members, springs adjustablysecured to the said members and from which the cart-body is hung,substantially as shown, a brace suspended below the shafts forward ofthe cart-bod y, a rod attached to the axle at one end and at its otherend to said brace and a swingletree carried by said brace substantiallyas described.

5. A two-wheeled vehicle comprising the wheels, theshafts carriedbetween them, the axle to which the shafts are secured, the memberscarried on the inside of the shafts, the cart-body suspended between themembers, the springs attached tothe members and having the bodysuspended from the springs, the brace-rod attached to the rear of theshaft and also to the axle and at its forward end to the shafts, thetransverse brace suspended from the shafts forward of the cart-body, andthe brace-rod connected thereto and to the axle all being arrangedsubstantially as and for the purposes indicated.

In testimony whereofI aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMPSON V. EDWARDS.

Titnessesz MARY E. CULvER, L. M. THURLow.

TOO

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